Court Remands America-based Nigerian over Alleged $26,000 Fraud

Wale Igbintade

A Federal high court, sitting in Lagos has ordered the remand of an America-based Nigerian, Lanre Smith, at the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS), Ikoyi, pending the hearing and determination of his bail application over alleged $26,000 fraud.

The Defendant was arraigned before Justice Ibrahim Kala on charges bordering on conspiracy and fraud of $26,000 made against him by the operatives of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (ForceCID) Annex, Alagbon-Ikoyi, Lagos,

Justice Kala made the remand order, after the defendant, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

During his arraignment, Police prosecutor, Mike E. Enejere, told the court that the defendant and other now at large, had sometimes in August 2016, conspired among themselves and conducted a financial transaction which involved proceeds of unlawful activity.

The prosecutor also told the court that the defendant and others deceived one Lindy Drake into depositing the sum of $26,000,00 which was paid into Well Fargo Account No. 1788790317 with Account name: Wilok Limited, operated by one Okwudili Okeke.

He further informed the court that, the defendant with intend to defraud, obtained the sum N10,040,000 from Okwudili Okeke, with the pretence that he had deposited a genuine sum of $26,000,00 into into his United State of America’s Wilok Limited, a pretence he knew to be false, as such funds were a proceeds of unlawful activity.

The prosecutor told the court that the offences committed by the defendant contravened sections 8(a); 7(1)(a) and 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 7(2)(b) and 1(3) of the same Act.

The defendant, who is the founder of Grocedy Limited, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Following the defendant’s plea, the prosecutor urged the court to remand him in prison, stating that the defendant had been evasive since the charge was filed against him.

The prosecutor thereafter asked for a trial date.

However, lawyer to the defendant, Akin Apara, while moving his bail application orally, told the court that the defendant had been out of the country for sometimes, and pleaded with the court to admit him to bail.

He also pleaded with the court to allow him take the custody of the defendant pending when his bail application would be filed and served on the prosecution.

Responding, the prosecutor urged the court to discountenance the oral application made by the defendant’s lawyer, arguing that the the court is a court of record.

Justice Kala after listening to both the prosecutor and defendant’s lawyer, ordered the defendant’s lawyer to file necessary applications and serve same on the prosecutor.

The judge, while adjourning the matter to February 5, for commencement of trial and hearing of the bail application, ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Ikoyi Centre of the NCoS.